中菲南海争议区域共同开发:曲折过程与基本难题

共同开发是中国积极提倡并推动的为解决南海部分岛礁、海域的领土所有权、管辖权争议而选择的临时措施。其中,中菲在礼乐滩的共同开发合作最引人注目。本文在回顾了中菲并不顺利的共同开发历程后发现,共同开发争议区域的油气资源,是一个兼具经济、政治属性而非纯商业属性的合作行为。划定作业区域、管理共同开发、协商利益分配是共同开发面临的三个基本难题,而与之直接相关的议题分别是:领土所有权、管辖权、经济利益。在共同开发中,虽然经济利益赋予了中菲合作的物质基础,但领土所有权、管辖权矛盾却从根本上制约着共同开发的推进。三个基本难题相互独立却统一于共同开发之中,共同构成了共同开发的行为逻辑。每个难题所对应的议题都有其特定属性,对共同开发过程形成或制约或促进的不同作用。

Sino-Philippine Joint Development in Disputed Areas in the South China Sea:Tortuous Evolution and Basic Problems

Joint development is an interim measure China actively adopts to resolve disputes over territorial ownership and jurisdiction over some islands, reefs and waters in the South China Sea. In particular, the joint development between China and the Philippines on Reed Bank is the most impressive. After reviewing the twists and turns of this project, this paper finds that the joint development of oil and gas resources in disputed areas is a cooperative initiative that has not only commercial, but also economic and political ramifications. The joint development faces three challenges-delineation of areas for operation, management, and redistribution of commercial payoff-which are closely related to the three basic issues of territorial ownership, legal jurisdiction, and economic rights. Although common economic interests provide the material basis for Sino-Philippine cooperation, differences over territorial ownership and jurisdiction fundamentally hinder joint development. Though independent from each other, the interactive effects of the three basic problems constitutes the essential logic of joint development. Given the specific nature of each, they are likely to either promote or hinder joint development.